An Unlikely Friendship
by allieson
Summary: Everyone knows that Jade hates Cat because, well... Jade hates everybody. But when Cat's in trouble, will an unlikely friendship emerge? Mainly Cat/Jade friendship, but Tori, Beck, & the rest of the gang will be around too!
1. Chapter 1

authors note: I haven't written in ages, and this is the first story I've posted on this site, so *please* let me know if I did anything wrong! I read the rules as carefully as I could, but sometimes I miss things. Thanks. I hope this story is mildly interesting :-)

**-1-**

"Hey, Miss Psycho! Put the lip gloss down and pay attention," Jade sneered.

Tori reached across the desk and slapped Jade in the shoulder. "Don't talk to her like that!"

Cat rubbed her lips together, smoothing out the gloss, and sighed happily at the strawberry taste. "Tori is nice to Cat," she said with a lilt to her voice. "Jade tries to be mean, but it doesn't matter. Because sticks and stones may break Cat's bones, but words -"

"Enough with the narration Cat. We're sitting right here," Jade interrupted. "Besides, you're full of shit. The whole world knows you're sensitive as hell."

The smile quickly wiped off Cat's face, all evidence of its prior existence gone. "I'm not sensitive!" She paused, twitching her fingers. "Sensitive." She rolled the word around her mouth, trying to taste its flavor. "Sensitive. What's that supposed to mean?" she squealed.

Tori threw her hands up in the air. "Come on guys! We need to focus or we'll never get this project for Sikowitz done. We haven't even settled on an idea for our scene, and it needs to be written by the end of tomorrow's class."

"Okay fine," Jade grumbled. "I say we go with Cat's idea. It's really good, there's no way we won't get an A," she suggested, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Oblivious, Cat's face brightened up. "I'm so excited! This is the greatest day ever!"

"Seriously guys?" Tori could feel herself getting frustrated, so she took a deep breath before speaking again. "Cat. Your idea is great. Really. But Sikowitz wants us to write a tragedy. Do you really think a shoe store being all out of a certain shoe is a tragedy?"

"Yes, Tori, of course its a tragedy!" Cat cried defensively. "In fact, it happened to me a month ago. I was so depressed, I didn't know what to do. I lay in bed and thought I'd never be able to get up -"

"Of course you did," Jade interrupted, disinterestedly.

"Until the next day my mom bought me a new handbag!" Cat continued. "It was soooo cute, I thought I was going to die! It's purple, kind of like a blueberry but even purple-er, and has this adorable stitching along the side where -"

Tori interrupted this time. "Cat! That's interesting, but we really need to focus." She forced her mind to think, pushing her neurons to fire faster and faster. They really needed an idea, and fast. Unfortunately, before she could think of anything, the bell sounded. "Ugh," Tori groaned. "Okay, guys, let's talk about this during lunch."

Jade shook her head. "Nope. I have plans."

"Plans?" Tori questioned.

"Jade wants to go make out with Beck," Cat answered for her matter-of-factly. "On Tuesdays they like to make out in the band room during lunch."

Jade folded her arms in front of her and scowled at Cat. "You do realize how creepy it is that you know that, don't you?"

"Creepy! I'm not creepy," Cat squeaked, color rising in her face. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Tori sighed. "Whatever Jade. And Cat, you're not creepy. Can you work on this during lunch with me?"

"Can't, sorry!" She shrugged. "I have to have a talk with the choir director. She says she wants to talk to me about my behavior in class. Apparently I talk too much and don't sing enough. But talking is just kind of singing but on the same note, don't you think? I think I'm going to tell her that. I hope she doesn't -"

Tori slapped her forehead in annoyance. "Okay fine. How about we meet after school. My place? Around 4?" Jade nodded grumpily while Cat squealed with excitement. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

* * *

Jade sat on Beck's lap, her knees straddling him, as she kissed him forcefully. She tried her best not to smile out of pure happiness as Beck combed his fingers through her long hair, but evidently she failed.

Beck pulled away, smirking. "Someone's having a good day today. What happened sweetie, did you beat up a freshman?"

Jade growled and tugged him back towards her, sucking aggressively on his lips. "Call me sweetie again and I'll punch your pretty little face in," she snarled in between kisses.

Beck slid his body forward, pinning Jade's shoulders against the wall and taking control of the kiss. Pulling back for just a second, he whispered "And that's the Jade I know and love," before once again attacking her lips.

* * *

As the bell sounded, Jade leapt up and quickly grabbed her backpack.

Beck grumbled. "I swear, that's got to be the shortest lunch period ever." He watched Jade curiously as she gathered her belongings. "What's the rush? Excited for class?"

Jade swallowed hard. She didn't want to lie to Beck, but at the same time she felt foolish explaining. "Um... I..." she stuttered. Finally she just blurted it out. "I want to go talk to Cat. I think something's going on with her. I'm worried."

"Cat? Why? You hate her!"

Jade rolled her eyes as she folded her arms across her chest. "I don't hate her, Beck. We're friends. I've known her since the first grade."

Beck scrunched his face in confusion. "Okay... But you always act like you hate her."

"And she always acts like an airhead," she snapped back. "What difference does it make?"

"Jade. Cat doesn't _act_ like an airhead. Cat _is_ an airhead."

"Shut up!" Jade felt her muscles tensing in anger. "Beck, just shut up! I'm serious. Something seems really off about her lately."

Beck smiled, putting his palms up in defeat. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry." He pulled her body in for an apologetic hug.

Jade let herself be pulled in, but did not reciprocate. "This is the last time I tell you anything," she muttered into his shoulder.

"Babe, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget under all that you're just a softy like the rest of us."

Jade grinned up at him slyly. "Tell anyone and you're dead."

"Oh, I believe you." He kissed her forehead lightly and then pulled away. "Go find Cat. Whatever is up, you'll work it out."

Jade smiled at the love of her life one last time before bolting out of the band room.

* * *

Jade headed towards Cat's locker just as she was leaving, and then followed her into the bathroom. Thankfully it was empty.

"Hey Cat," Jade said timidly.

"Oh!" Cat's face erupted like a volcano of pure happiness. "Jade! What's up? Have fun with Beck?"

"Um... yes..?" Jade stammered. "Can we not talk about that?"

"Okay! What do you want to talk about? I love talking!" Cat smiled at her reflection in the mirror as she started to reapply mascara to her lashes.

Jade took a deep breath and stepped towards Cat. "Why don't we talk about you. How are you doing?"

Jade wouldn't have thought Cat's smile could grow any bigger, but it did. "I am doing awesome. Awesome! I am so excited to go to Tori's tonight! And my mom bought me a new dress last weekend - I swear its the cutest thing ever! Jade, this is so much fun! I love talking about myself. My dad says I talk too much, but its so fun, I just -"

"Cat, quit it!" Jade's eyes searched in Cat's, looking for something, any sort of clue. "Drop the cute act for a second and just talk to me."

Cat was silent for a few seconds, stunned. "What... what do you mean?"

"God Cat, I know you! And I know you know that. We were best friends for years! We're the same, Cat. I'm messed up, just like you. Except you survive this hellish place by doing the cute crazy girl thing, while I do the mean girl thing. But really, we're the same. We're fucked up, Cat."

Cat's soft face grew harder, her cheekbones almost looking like stone. "I really don't know what you mean," she said evenly.

Jade sighed with frustration. "Stop lying Cat. Before high school you used to tell me everything. I know you. And I know you know me." Cat remained silent, refusing to engage in the conversation. Jade did her best to soften her voice. "Look Cat, I don't want to argue with you. This is hard for me too. I'm just worried, I know something's going on with you. I don't know how I can tell, but I can. I mean, look at you! You're so pale."

Cat stepped closer to Jade. Her kind eyes had turned frozen, and pierced sharply into Jade's. When she finally spoke her words were low and icy. "Leave. It. Alone," she breathed, barely audible.

Jade didn't know what to say, so she just stared. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many questions to ask. But none of them could be articulated.

Suddenly Cat's face was enveloped by warmth again. She giggled as she leaned back towards the mirror, applying her lip gloss. "Mmm... strawberry! My favorite!" She smiled at Jade as if their conversation had never happened. "Hey Jade, I have to go. But I absolutely cannot wait til we hang out at Tori's tonight! Omigod! It's going to be way fun! Yay!" She pulled Jade in for a quick hug and then skipped out of the bathroom leaving Jade stunned.


	2. Chapter 2

**-2-**

The final bell rang for the day, and Jade headed from her last class straight to the parking lot. She had to be at Tori's in a little over an hour, but she wanted to speak with Beck first. Her conversation with Cat had been unsettling at the least, and she needed someone to mull it over with. As much as she made sure everyone else at Hollywood Arts knew that she was strong and independent, the truth was that she loved being at least somewhat dependent on Beck. He was her confidant.

She walked quickly towards Beck's car, and upon finding it empty, sat on the curb. Tapping her foot impatiently, she sent him a slew of text messages.

"I'm at the car."

30 seconds later: "Please hurry, I want to talk."

One minute later: "WHERE ARE YOU?"

Soon after she sent the last text message, Beck appeared. "Hey, I'm sorry. I got here as fast as I could. What's up?"

"Nothing," Jade snapped out of habit. "I mean... something. I just need to talk. Can we go for a ride?"

"Yeah of course." Beck reached down to give her a hand, and pulled her up off of the curb.

Beck drove them away from the school in no particular direction. Jade could feel him glancing over at her, but she didn't know what to say. After a few minutes of silence he pulled into a nearby park and parked the car in a secluded shady spot. "Okay... so what's up? I'm guessing it has to do with Cat?"

Jade played with the rings on her fingers. "Yeah. I tried to talk to her and it was an epic fail. She shut up like a clam." Jade thought carefully. "Actually, I guess it wasn't a total fail. At least now I know something is definitely up. She was so... cold. And just not Cat."

Beck scrunched his eyebrows together. "That's weird. I mean, it doesn't sound at all like Cat. That chick doesn't keep secrets, there's definitely no filter between what she thinks and what she speaks."

Jade snorted. "And that's what she wants everyone to think. Glad she's got you fooled, dumbass." The instant the words left her mouth, she wanted to retract them. "God Beck, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap."

Beck waved her apology away with his hands. "It's cool. If I were scared away by girls who lashed out when they were stressed, well... you'd know it by now."

Jade smiled appreciatively. "Yeah, but see, that's the thing! When I'm stressed or the world is fucked up, I get angry. I get angry at the whole world. But Cat... it's like she just mentally checks out. Or pretends the world doesn't exist. Or something. I don't know."

Beck listened attentively, carefully digesting her words. "Wow, you really do know her pretty well," he pondered aloud. "But wait. I mean, what happened? If you were so close why aren't you friends now?"

Jade breathed uncomfortably. Her history with Cat was something she had wanted to hide from Beck. Hell, she wanted to hide it from everyone. But with whatever it was that was going on with Cat... it just felt so important to finally tell. "In eighth grade something bad happened. It was right before you moved here. And Cat... and I... it was just easier that we weren't friends anymore." She fidgeted awkwardly in her seat, not daring to let her eyes meet Beck's. "We were both pretty messed up by it, but I was lucky because I had you. She has no one."

Beck gently touched her face, pulling her chin upwards so their eyes could meet. "Tell me what happened?" he asked simply.

"It was my fault," Jade blurted. "Cat was so small and so scared." Jade tried to slow her words down, to try to control and censor them like she usually did. But it was no use. They came pouring out of her mouth like a waterfall. "See, I wanted to go to this high school party. Thought it would make me cool, being the little dipshit I was. Cat didn't want to go, but I dragged her along anyways. We were nervous. I made her drink with me, and we kind of overdid it. After that it's a blur in my mind, but we were hanging out with these upperclassmen guys. Somehow we got separated. The guys, they... well... bad stuff happened. To them we were just two stupid drunk girls who were an easy lay. After, when we found each other again, we practically crawled back to my house we were so trashed. And then we spent all night in my bathroom puking." Jade's eyes blurred and she couldn't see well, but she felt Beck pull her body towards him. Normally she liked to be in control, but she let her body collapse into his. "And that's the last time I really talked to her. I mean, I've talked to her. But _really_, talked to her, you know?"

Beck didn't respond right away, but squeezed her body hard. "God Jade, I don't even know what to say to make this better. No one is ever going to hurt you again because I'm never letting you out of my arms."

Jade gave her signature smirk, despite the few stray tears that had escaped from her eyes. "Clingy much? Hold me like this in public and I'll claw your eyes out."

Beck grinned ear-to-ear. "I love you Jade. Never change."

* * *

Cat walked slowly down the sidewalk as she inspected her manicured fingernails for chips. As she got to her final pinky and discovered no flaws, she felt a wave of pure joy wash over her. Her fingers were flawless and her outfit was perfectly selected. She loved being liked, and Tori and Jade would have to like her now. She sang softly to herself. _Tori and Jade. Jade and Tori. Jade. Tori. Jade. Jade. Jade..._

Jade's name rang ominously in her head. What was she going to do about Jade? The sobering thought shook her, and stopped her in her tracks. What exactly did Jade know? And how did she find out? She replayed the bathroom scene with Jade over and over in her head, trying to make sense of it. Her thoughts attacked it from every angle, deciphering Jade's every word, pause, and movement. Trembling slightly, she balled her hands into tight fists trying to squeeze meaning out of the situation. But it was no use. She couldn't know without talking to Jade first, and ... well that was out of the question.

Whatever it was that Jade thought she knew, she obviously wasn't too sure. If she was, she wouldn't have worked so hard to push for the truth, she would have just laid down the accusation. Jade was right, Cat _did_ know Jade. She knew Jade well enough to know that subtlety was not her style, and if she knew something for sure she would have said it. Cat closed her eyes for a few moments and took two deep breaths. This whole Jade situation was uncomfortable, and she didn't want to deal with it any longer.

"Look for something pretty, look for something pretty," she muttered under her breath in desperation. In less than a second, her eyes settled on the fluffy clouds above her head. They were so sweet, like little balls of cotton candy. Cat imagined a royal family of cotton candy bunnies prancing on top of the clouds, the prince bunnies wearing crowns and the princesses wearing glittery tiaras. She smiled, imagining the colors of the bunnies. Some were pink, others light blue, and a few were a soft violet color. Her body flushed with warmth and she started skipping. The world of bunnies in her head was so magical and innocent. There was no darkness, and no secrets. Just joy.

When Cat was about a block from Tori's house, she took out her strawberry lip gloss and carefully applied it to her lips. She loved her lip gloss. Not only was it functional in giving her perfectly glossy lips, but the flavor melted into her imaginary worlds, making them even more alive.

Carefully sliding her lip gloss back into her purse, Cat couldn't help but giggle. Her mind was bouncing through a world of cute and pretty things, and she couldn't control it if she wanted to. That was the way she liked it.

* * *

Tori heard a knock on the door. "Hang on, I'm coming!" she yelled.

For her study session with Cat and Jade she had decided to bake cookies. Sweets tended to make Cat happy, and although it was unlikely Jade would crack a smile she figured that cookies couldn't hurt. Maybe if morale was improved amongst the team, their writing would be more successful? At least Tori hoped so, class today was ridiculously unproductive and the script needed to be done by tomorrow.

Tori reached into the oven with the mitt, and pulled out the cookie sheet. After carefully resting the cookies to cool, she finally made it to the door and let Cat in.

"Hi Cat! How are you?"

Cat's eyes lit up as if it were the first time she had been asked that question. "I'm doing really, really great Tori! That was so nice of you to ask!"

Tori did her best to push a smile onto her face. If anyone could make cheerfulness annoying, it would be Cat. "Right," she stammered, "well come on in and make yourself at home. Jade's not here yet."

Cat kicked off her shoes at the door, and then sitting on the sofa she smoothed her skirt with extreme precision. "Tori. Can I ask you a question?" Cat glanced over at Tori with a surprising level of seriousness in her eyes. It put Tori off guard for a moment.

"Um... sure. What is it?"

The seriousness in her eyes disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. She smiled happily, looking at nothing in particular. "Do you think it's possible that cotton candy bunnies live in the clouds," she said, almost singing.

Tori resisted the urge to bang her head against the wall. Where the hell was Jade? She didn't like Jade, not by any measure, but at least she balanced Cat out. "Um... maybe... I guess?" Tori stumbled over her words, trying to not say anything that might set Cat off. "I've never been to the clouds. So I mean, I guess it's possible."

Cat squealed with delight. "I can't wait til Jade gets here! This is going to be so much fun!"

Tori caught her eyes mid-roll, and forced the corners of her mouth to curl upwards. "Me too," she lied. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Authors note: Thanks for the reviews everyone. They were fun to read :) Also, thank you for the constructive comment about Tori - I thought about it more, and you are definitely right on with that comment! I'm struggling a bit with her because she's my least favorite character on the show and I find her boring lol. But I'm trying to give her a bit more character than originally planned. I'm a little nervous I'm falling into a similar trap with Beck... I'm not sure though. But again, thanks! I'm having so much fun writing. Constructive criticism is appreciated muchly =]


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: Thanks for the lovely reviews everyone! They are so fun to read, I really do appreciate them. Sorry this one took a little longer to get up. I went to NY and then had some writer's block. I'm hoping to try to update more frequently, but I don't want to promise anything. As always, any critiques or constructive criticisms are welcome. I'm really mixed on this chapter - there are parts I really hate and parts I like... so let me know what you think! :-)

* * *

**-3-**

Jade arrived at Tori's house about twenty minutes late. To be completely honest, she could have been there on time. Beck had watched the time carefully for her, but Jade only shushed him whenever he mentioned the time. The truth was that she was stressed and felt like pissing Tori off.

"You're late," Tori mumbled as she let Jade in her front door.

"You're stupid," Jade shot back, not missing a beat.

Tori pushed her lips together hard, not willing to fight with Jade. This made Jade smile. She had just walked in the door and she'd already secured her alpha position. Jade watched as Tori closed the door behind her and then sat down on the couch next to Cat. She gestured towards the chair on the other side of the coffee table and looked up at Jade expectantly. Jade couldn't resist playing with her, so she folded her arms and didn't move.

Tori took a deep breath. "Whatever Jade. Sit down... stand.. I don't care. Let's just finish this."

Suddenly Cat glanced up. She hadn't spoken or even made eye contact since Jade had entered the room, but she appeared to have something to say. "Jade. Tori's not stupid!" she said, a few decibels short of a shriek. She inched closer to Tori on the couch and softly took the brunette's hand in her own. "I know you're smart," she said encouragingly while resting her head on Tori's shoulder. "You can trust me."

Jade snorted. With Tori and Cat it was too easy. "Yeah Tori, Cat is totally an expert on intelligence."

Both girls just glared at Jade. It almost made her feel bad. _Almost_.

Jade sighed. "Okay, I'll sit down, but it's already finished." Jade plopped herself down on the chair across from Cat and Tori and rustled with her backpack. "Here," she said, handing stapled copies to Tori and Cat. Cat took her copy cautiously, averting her eyes slightly. There it was again, that indecipherable look on Cat's face. Jade wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her until the truth spewed out of her mouth. Although abiding by social graces wasn't one of Jade's priorities, she knew shaking Cat wasn't acceptable.

"Wait, what? You wrote this?" Tori flipped through the pages skimming the document.

Jade smirked. Preppy little Tori always thought she was the leader of the group, but Jade had again put her in her place. "Yeah, I wrote it during last period. You're welcome."

Tori's eyes scanned the first page warily. "I don't know Jade. This is a group project. I don't feel right about this." She put her copy down on the coffee table and folded her arms. "Cat, what do you think?"

Cat was spaced out and Jade knew it, so she didn't give her a chance to answer. "Tori, just read the stupid script. It's good, you'll cry your eyes out, and Sikowitz will give us an A." Tori shook her head. She still wasn't convinced. "Jesus Christ Tori!" Jade snapped as she collapsed backwards into the chair. She was about to yell a poorly planned-out argument when Cat stood up.

"I think its fine," she said smiling, the weird look from before completely wiped off her face. "Thanks Jade!" She sprung off the couch and pulled Jade in for a quick hug. Since Jade was still sitting, it felt awkward, but she couldn't help but notice how fruity and sweet Cat smelled. Cat _always_ smelled good, it was ridiculous. If Jade didn't care so much about her pride, she would ask Cat what perfume she used in a heartbeat.

Tori pulled her legs up onto the couch and crossed them. "Guys, I really don't know about this."

Jade groaned in annoyance. She wanted to leave Tori's place as quickly as possible. She was dying to talk to Cat alone, and she didn't feel like spending a few hours rewriting the whole thing just for Tori's obnoxious little conscience.

Cat sat back down next to Tori. "Tori, please?" she asked. Her voice was somewhat sweet yet contained a hint of whining. "Jade's good at school, I promise. She makes straight A's." Cat grabbed Tori's hands and looked her straight in the eyes. "Please Tori? You can write the next one? And then I'll do the next? We'll make it fair."

"Okay fine." From the way Tori's lips were pursed it was evident that Tori wasn't pleased, but her reluctant agreement was good enough for Jade.

"Great!" Jade stood up before Tori could change her mind. "I'll print out a fresh copy for Sikowitz... and I'll see you tomorrow!" She pulled her cell out of her pocket to text Beck to pick her up. "Hey Cat," she said, trying to sound casual. "Beck and I will give you a ride home, ok?"

Cat's eyes squinted slightly in fear. But she quickly wiped the expression off her face and smiled brightly. "Wow Jade, that's so nice! But I'm just going to walk." She shrugged her shoulders in excitement. "I love walking!"

Jade thought quickly. Cat sometimes acted dumb, but it was more difficult than it seemed to outsmart her. "Umm..." Jade murmured. "But you have to."

Tori interrupted. "Cat doesn't have to do anything, Jade. Let her walk."

"Stay out of this Vega," Jade snapped. "Look, its Beck. He wants to give you a ride Cat."

Cat cocked her eyebrows. "Beck?"

"Yes Beck." Jade crossed her arms, trying to look convincing. "He says I should be nicer to you. So... come with us?"

* * *

Cat slid into the backseat of Beck's car. "Thanks so much for the ride, Beck!" she gushed. "It's so nice of you!" His car was pleasantly cool compared to the sticky California air. She did her best to smile sweetly as she smoothed her hair with her fingers and then carefully adjusted her skirt. Jade opened the door to the passenger side of the car, but then Cat heard Beck whisper something to her. She couldn't quite hear the words, but before she knew it Jade had slammed the door shut and was climbing into the backseat next to Cat. Cat suddenly felt very small and cornered. Was this a trap? She giggled nervously, feeling a blush rise onto her face. Her mind started to race, but she grabbed it with practiced precision. _Think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts, think happy thoughts. _Being cheerful always got her out of trouble. Whatever this thing with Jade was, she could get through it.

She always did.

Cat reached into her bag for her strawberry lip gloss. She smoothed it onto her lips, and her mind wandered to strawberry fields and princesses and glittery clouds. A real smile found its way to her strawberry-flavored lips and Cat, now relaxed, sank down into the seat. She almost forgot her nerves when Jade interrupted her daydreams.

"Hey, so Cat," she began, awkwardly. "Um... I was thinking... you know... maybe we could be friends again. Hang out and stuff. I miss you."

Cat watched as her eyes jumped up to Jade's, and then quickly snapped away. "What do you mean?" she heard herself asking in her light, sing-song voice. "Of course we're friends, silly!"

Jade shook her head. "No. I mean, we are friends. But let's do stuff together. Like we used to in junior high. Maybe you could come to my house? We could make food? Watch movies?"

The car felt as if it was getting smaller and smaller. The air was getting heavier and heavier. Cat's chest rose and fell quickly, and she felt her heart working harder and harder to supply oxygen to her brain. _Be happy, be happy_. Her mind screamed at her as her lungs fought against her chest. She tried to giggle but it sounded more like a puppy crying than anything else. "Sure, maybe sometime," she said, more heavily than she intended. "But, I don't know. With high school I'm a lot busier. I'll call you sometime?"

Jade took a deep breath, and Cat watched as she formulated her next attack. Why was Jade coming after her now? They'd stopped being friends two years ago. Sure, she liked Jade. Jade wasn't half as mean as she always pretended to be. But she couldn't be friends with her. She just couldn't.

"Look Cat, I know it's hard. I'm just worried. I'm sorry I let us fall out of friendship. You need someone you can talk to about what happened."

"Nothing happened." Cat wouldn't have believed that she was the one who had spoken if she didn't feel the words come out of her mouth. They were icy and low, just like when she had spoken to Jade in the bathroom earlier that day.

Confusion spread across Jade's face. "What do you mean, Cat? I know you didn't forget. The party where we got drunk? When we slept with all those guys?"

Suddenly Beck cleared his throat from the front car seat. Cat had forgotten he was there. "You girls were too drunk to consent. Plus, you were underage. You didn't 'sleep with' guys, you were raped."

The controlled, icy voice was gone. As foreign as it felt, Cat desperately wanted it back. "You told him?" she squealed, voice cracking and tears starting to flow down her face. Her cover was blown. She had failed. The walls of the car seemed to be compressing closer and closer, and the air in the vehicle was running out. She needed to get out of that car soon or she would suffocate.

"Of course I told him," Jade said, slightly stunned. "He's my boyfriend." She paused a moment, and then reached out to touch Cat's arm.

Cat squirmed violently in her seat. She knew it was just Jade's hand, but when she closed her eyes she felt strong hands all over her... reaching, feeling, groping. "Let me go! Let me go!" she cried, and after what seemed like eternity Jade's hands went away. In reality, it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. When the hands stopped, she opened her eyes and looked up at Jade. She tried her best to steady her breath. "Nothing happened," she said slowly. "You're making it all up." She paused for a second, regaining herself. "Beck, Jade's making that up. It didn't happen. Please let me out now, I want to walk the rest of the way."

"Umm... sure thing." Beck's voice was unsure, but he gave Cat the answer she wanted. Cat could feel Jade's eyes prying at her, but she sat still, pretending to not notice.

As she felt the car slow and pull over, she did her best to wipe any tears off of her face. When the car stopped, she quickly flung open the door and took a deep breath of the fresh air. "Thanks Beck. Thanks Jade," she said as cheerfully as she could muster. "See you in school tomorrow." She flung the door shut and watched the car drive off. As soon as it was out of sight she ran to the trash can on the sidewalk and threw up.

After emptying the contents of her stomach and breathing in the fresh air, she felt better again. Her cheeks were still slightly sticky from her tears, but it reminded her of candy which reminded her of Candyland and all the magical creatures that inhabited it. Her mind whirled off into her magical imaginary worlds and everything became pretty again. She smoothed on her strawberry lip gloss and smiled. Life was wonderful.

As she walked towards her home, she thought briefly of Jade and Beck and the car ride. Her stomach suddenly felt as if there was a slight weight attached. But why? It was such a weird encounter. Why would Jade make up such stories about junior high? What she said... it didn't happen. It couldn't have happened. Things like that didn't happen in Cat's world.

Cat shut Jade out of her mind and airily drifted back into Candyland.


	4. Chapter 4

authors note: Thanks for all the reviews everyone! You're too kind. Also, don't worry - Beck & Jade are together to stay, I adore them.

I hope the story continues to not suck, haha. But definitely let me know if it does start to suck, and I'll try harder to make it better :) Also, as the story's progressing I'm concerned some of my characters are getting too OOC, so def let me know if you see any of that! I'm trying to improve my writing (and I'm aware I am a beginner!), so I promise I won't be offended at any constructive criticisms.

* * *

Jade sat at the lunch table and picked at her salad. She wasn't particularly hungry. Eating was only a cover for her real activity - watching Cat. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for or how it would help anything, but whenever she was in class with Cat the majority of her brain power was going towards watching Cat's every move. Last night Cat had made it absolutely clear she didn't want to talk. Or perhaps she had made it clear that she actually _couldn't_ talk. The girl went into full on panic attack from just the mention of what had happened two years ago.

Did Cat really convince herself that it didn't happen?

This was what confused Jade the most. Can a person really do that? Simply not accept something as reality and reject it. It seemed impossible. But if anyone could do it, it would probably be Cat. Cat's mind was all-over-the-place and confusing as hell.

Jade had gotten lost in her own thoughts again when Beck gently rubbed her thigh under the table. "Hey," he whispered. "You okay?"

Jade snapped out of her thoughts back into the present. She glanced up at Beck. "I'm fine," she mumbled. She could tell Beck was watching her carefully, so she smiled and then forked a big piece of lettuce into her mouth.

"Woah, Little Red!" Andre laughed kindly as he gently elbowed Cat. "Slow down with the cake! You're going to choke."

Cat broke out into the biggest smile possible with having a mouth full of food and keeping her lips closed. She chewed the cake as quickly as she could and then swallowed. "But Andre," she whined happily. Cat was probably the only person capable of whining happily. "This dessert is the best dessert I have ever tasted." Cat giggled to herself. "Ever!" she repeated with emphasis.

Andre chuckled. "I don't know Little Red. You say that every day." He wrapped his arm around her tiny shoulders. "I don't think they can have the best dessert ever every single day." Giggling, Cat shook her head in protest. "Cat. They're just not that good here!"

Were Cat and Andre flirting? Jade looked around the table at Beck, Robbie, and Tori, and none of them seemed to be noticing anything out of the ordinary. But they definitely looked into each other. If Jade wasn't in public, she would have smiled. Andre was a sweet guy, and Cat could definitely do much worse. Normally this kind of affection would make her want to gag, but with Cat it was sweet.

Cat suddenly jerked and slid herself out from under his arm. "Hey guys, I've got to go."

"Where are you going?" Tori asked with disinterest. Jade knew it wasn't warranted, but every time Tori opened her mouth she wanted to run her over with a car. Or push her off a cliff. Or something. Something about Tori just made her inexplicably angry.

"I've just... I have to talk to a teacher." Cat jumped up off the bench. "See you guys."

Jade watched Cat run off. She had to follow her. She knew something was up. "I have to go somewhere too." Jade grabbed her backpack and started to follow Cat.

Tori called out to her. "Where are you -"

"It's a top secret mission for the FBI," she cut her off. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

* * *

Cat wandered through the halls of Hollywood Arts clutching her stomach. The huge piece of chocolate cake she had just eaten was oozing through her stomach, more and more of it being absorbed by the minute. She walked quickly and pointedly through the hallways towards a little bathroom in the back of the school. No one ever used this bathroom, it was so far out of the way. Kids used to use it to smoke in, but when the school administration caught wind of that, they installed ultra-sensitive smoke detectors. Cat was lucky such a place existed at school. It was her safe haven.

She cautiously pushed the door open to the bathroom, quietly listening to make sure she was alone. As always, the room was silent. Gleefully, she skipped in and faced her body towards the mirror. Digging into her pocket, she grabbed a hair tie and loosely pulled back her long red hair. Most of it reached the elastic, but there were a few stray hairs hanging out, so she tucked those behind her ears. After taking care of her hair, she took a moment to study herself in the mirror. This had become so much of a ritual that it didn't bother her anymore. Her eyes were bright and smiling and there was plenty of color in her face. In just a few minutes everything would be okay again. Her body would feel light again, as if it could dance, skip, and fly off into the clouds.

There was just one last thing to do.

Cat casually tossed her backpack under the sink and then walked into a bathroom stall. Kneeling in front of the toilet, she adeptly pushed her perfectly manicured finger down the back of her throat.

* * *

Jade had followed Cat through the halls. Every time she thought she had figured out where Cat was going, Cat would make another turn that left Jade even more puzzled. Where on earth was she going?

Eventually Cat had arrived at the old bathroom at the very back of Hollywood Arts. It was so out of the way that Jade had forgotten it existed. She waited outside for a few minutes, pondering her next move. Maybe she shouldn't have followed Cat. This felt like a huge invasion of privacy. Yet, at the same time, how could she not follow Cat? After what had happened in the car with Beck the previous night, it was obvious that Cat was... whatever Cat was. Confused? Distressed? Psychotic? Jade had no idea how to describe what had happened to Cat yesterday, but she knew it wasn't good.

Jade debated whether she should follow Cat into the bathroom. On one hand, Cat was probably just going to the bathroom. But why would Cat have walked all the way the the bathroom on the other end of the school? She had to be crying. Jade could think of no other explanation. Cat must still have been upset about Jade and Beck approaching her yesterday. If that was the case, Jade needed to be there to comfort her. Making up her mind, Jade slowly pushed open the door, ready to hug the sobbing girl she knew had to be right behind the door. But what she heard halted her in her tracks. She heard a string of coughs, shortly followed by a retching noise.

Cat was throwing up.

A million thoughts raced through Jade's head. Maybe Cat had the stomach flu? No. She felt fine five minutes ago. Maybe she had food poisoning? Also doubtful. The bottom of Jade's stomach became heavier and heavier with realization.

Suddenly the retching stopped and Jade heard a toilet being flushed. She gently closed the door and waited outside the bathroom for about a few minutes, before pushing it open and casually walking in. She plastered a smile upon her face. Jade could play Cat's game.

"Hey Cat!" She said brightly.

Cat jumped slightly. She was clearly startled. "Oh, hey!" she said, slightly unsure. Jade couldn't help but notice her appearance. Her hair was slightly disheveled, parts of it loosely tied back in a pony tail. And her face was a bit of a wreck. Her skin was so very pale, and her eyes were red, almost as if she had been crying.

Cat's fingers were twitching slightly and she could not bring her eyes up to meet Jade's. Jade had obviously caught her off guard. She looked at the tube of mascara in Cat's hand and decided to imitate. "I love how secluded this place is," Jade said as she pulled lip gloss out of her backpack. "I come here sometimes to fix my makeup. Looks like you found my spot."

Cat looked visibly relieved. "Yeah. That's why I come here too." Suddenly Cat was her perky self again. "Hey, so lunch today! It was so fun, right?"

Jade once more studied the girl in front of her. If she was ever going to be able to break through Cat's exterior, she had to gain her trust again. "Yeah. I like lunch," she said lamely, as she rubbed on some lip gloss. "So... what's up with you and Andre?"

"Andre," Cat said, giggling to herself. "Nothing is up with me and Andre." But the wide smile on her face told a different story. Finishing with her mascara, she grabbed her small tube of tinted moisturizer which she patted onto her cheeks. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh come on. He's clearly into you!" Jade had to smile at the reaction she was getting out of Cat. She was obviously crushing on Andre.

Cat blushed and shook her head at Jade's words. "No. We're friends. He wouldn't like me that way." Cat grabbed her strawberry lip gloss and smoothed it on to her lips.

Jade chuckled. "Whatever you say... _Little Red_." At the mention of Andre's nickname, Cat blushed an even deeper red. This was going better than Jade could have anticipated. She was having a long conversation with Cat, and they were giggling and talking about boys. Maybe she really could work her way into being Cat's friend again. "Hey Cat," she said cautiously. "I... I just got the first season of Gossip Girl on dvd. And Beck, well, you know boys, he won't watch it with me. I don't really have any other friends, but maybe... maybe you would want to watch it with me?"

Cat shuffled with her backpack, putting away all her makeup. She pulled the hair elastic out of her ponytail, and smoothed her long red hair with her fingers. She appeared to be deep in thought. "Umm... yeah. I guess. Why not? I love Gossip Girl."

Jade sighed, relieved. "Great." She put her hand on Cat's shoulder and Cat curiously looked up into her eyes. All traces of Cat's actions in the bathroom were long gone. Her face was glowing and her eyes were as bright as usual. "Maybe it can be like old times."

"Maybe," Cat whispered. "Look, I... I have to get to class. I'll see you later." She swung her backpack over her shoulder and left the bathroom without waiting for Jade's response.

Jade pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. Now that Cat was gone she didn't have to act anymore. She was angry. Angry at herself for bringing Cat to that stupid party, angry at those boys for hurting Cat, and even angry at Cat for being so foolish. She was confused. Why couldn't Cat talk to her anymore? How long had Cat been hiding this? But mostly, Jade was just scared. She had absolutely no idea how to deal with this. She texted as fast as she could.

"We need to talk. Cut class. Meet you by the car."

She felt tears start to gather at the corners of her eyes as she scrolled through her list of contacts. Finding Beck's name, she sent the text. With a paper towel she dabbed her eyes in attempts to erase any evidence of tears before she finally left the bathroom and headed towards Beck's car.


	5. Chapter 5

**-5-**

Beck was walking into his music class when he felt the phone in his pocket buzz. He was relieved. Ever since Jade had left so quickly at lunch, he had been waiting for her to come back or at least for her to send him a text. He knew Jade had to have been following Cat, but he couldn't even start to predict what had happened. Until recently, he'd always thought of Cat as one of those stupid but happy girls that wandered through life thinking of nothing but shoes and makeup. Obviously he was wrong. He didn't know what was going on with Cat, but whatever it was, it was complicated.

Beck opened his cell. As expected, the message was from Jade.

"We need to talk. Cut class. Meet you by the car."

As quickly as he had walked into the music room, Beck turned around and walked right out. He wasn't one for skipping classes, but neither was Jade, so he knew it had to be serious. Assuming he would be out the rest of the day, Beck went to his locker to exchange a few books before going to his car.

As Beck walked towards his car, his mind drifted to Jade. No one knew Jade like he did. Except for maybe Cat. Everyone at school thought that Jade cared only about herself, but that was far from the truth. Jade simply refused to pretend to care when she didn't. And sometimes she would pretend not to care even when she did. But when it really mattered, she was there, and Beck loved that about her.

When he got to his car, Jade was sitting on the stoop tapping her feet impatiently. Her eyes were heavy, and Beck knew one wrong word and she would be in tears. If there was one thing Jade really hated it was showing vulnerability in public, so Beck tried to get her into the car as quickly as possible. He reached out a hand to pull her off the curb.

Jade took his hand, but averted her eyes. "I thought you weren't going to come," she said, her voice cracking partway through.

He pulled her into a tight hug and then kissed her forehead lightly. Jade usually pretended to hate that kind of affection, but Beck knew better. "Of course I came. I just had to stop at my locker," he explained. "Come on, let's go." He walked her over to the passenger side of the car, and held open the door for her.

"I can do this myself," she muttered under her breath. "I'm not an invalid."

Jade was obviously stressed, so Beck chose to ignore her comments. He got in the driver's seat and drove to their usual spot in the park. When they reached their destination, he turned the ignition off and turned to face Jade. "Okay, what's up?"

Jade unbuckled her seat belt and scooted closer to Beck. She pulled her knees up to her chest and lay against him. She was quiet for awhile. Right when Beck thought that maybe she wouldn't speak at all, she finally started talking. "Cat, she's... I think she's... bulimic."

Beck wrapped his arm around Jade's shoulder and lightly traced circles into her arm. He matched his breathing with hers so that their chests rose and fell together. "Bulimic," he said slowly, thinking. "Did she tell you that?"

Jade shook her head. "No. When I followed her, she didn't know I was there, and I heard her... you know... hurling. I talked to her right after, and I mean, she was fine. So she couldn't have had a stomach bug or something."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes, both deep in thought. Beck considered himself fairly rational, and he liked helping Jade solve various problems in her life. But this was out of his league. "Maybe we should tell someone. A guidance counselor maybe?"

"Maybe." Jade nestled her head against Beck's chest as Beck played with the rings on her fingers. Sure, he cared about Cat and hoped things would get better for her. But he was worried about Jade too. He hated seeing her down like this.

As if on cue, she started sobbing into his chest. "This is all my fault," she said between her jagged breaths. "If only I didn't... that night... If only I noticed... Why won't she talk to me?"

"Shhh." Beck stroked his fingers through her long brown hair, soothing her. "It's not your fault. We both know that." Jade shook her head and tried to interrupt, but Beck spoke over her. "No. Listen to me. Cat wasn't the only victim that night. You were too."

Jade sat up, separating herself from Beck. "I'm nobody's victim," she said looking him square in the eye. Tears covered her face, but her appearance was strong nonetheless.

Beck sighed. He knew her well enough to know there was no use arguing. "I know," he replied simply. "But if you fall, I'll catch you."

Without a word Jade leaned back in to Beck and collapsed herself to fit perfectly into his body.

* * *

Cat paced back and forth around her room. She kept checking behind her bed for for a random piece of paper or sock that she might have missed while cleaning. She checked three times. Four times. Five times. Six times.

"Ughh." She sighed loudly trying to snap herself out of it. Jade was coming over and Cat was nervous. Beyond nervous. She wasn't sure why she had suggested it. Why was she so stupid? Jade had invited Cat over at some hypothetical, undetermined time, but Cat just _had_ to mention to Jade that this specific Saturday was a great night for a sleepover.

Well, the truth was, she knew exactly why she had suggested it. Ever since Cat's parents split up, her mother started going out all the time. Since her brother had moved out with her father, it left Cat home alone most nights. She hated it. During the day time she loved her imagination and her ability to conjure beautiful, happy illustrations in her mind. And most of the time at night she could get away with listening to the perky sounds of the crickets, and imagining their lovely cricket families. But every once in awhile when she heard a creak in the house, her mind went somewhere ugly and scary. An ogre, a monster, or... a bad man... whatever her brain thought of first, would come alive and torture her thoughts until morning. Perhaps if she weren't alone during the dark hours, perhaps if Jade, a friend, was with her, then maybe she wouldn't have to be so scared.

Of course, there were down sides to not being alone. Cat had to be very careful around Jade, and she had to work hard to stay in her happy place. Jade was clever and observant - one misstep and Jade would notice. And for whatever reason, Jade seemed dead set on breaking Cat's sunny world. Cat couldn't figure out why, she thought they were both friends. But it seemed that Jade kept trying to bring more and more ugliness and scariness to Cat's world. Ugliness and scariness that Cat wasn't able to deal with.

A piece of fuzz floating in the air brought Cat back to the present. Her eyes narrowed on the fuzz as her manicured fingernails snagged it. Where did the fuzz come from? Her room couldn't be a mess for Jade. It had to be perfect.

She glanced at the digital clock on her desk. 6:58. Jade could arrive any minute. Cat hadn't had Jade over her house in years, and she didn't know what to expect. She set her laptop to play happy pop music, and she was burning a candle that made her room smell sweet and fruity. But it wasn't enough. The air felt heavy and suffocating.

As she waited for Jade to ring the doorbell, she couldn't help but feel suspicious that she was missing something out of place in her room. There had to be a hair tie hiding in a corner, or a box about to topple off her shelf and spill everywhere. She was about to check behind her bed another time when she heard the doorbell ring.

* * *

Jade walked up the front steps of Cat's house and rang the doorbell. She had her backpack slung over her shoulder, containing her pajamas, snacks, and the Gossip Girl dvd's. To be honest, she was a bit surprised she was standing at Cat's doorstep for the first time in years, but she wasn't about to decline when Cat had invited her over for a sleepover.

Cat's mother opened the door. "Oh Jade, darling, it's so nice to see you again!"

Jade let herself be pulled in for a hug that was strangely aggressive for such a kind gesture. "Hi," she replied simply, trying to form a smile on her lips. Jade had never really cared for Cat's mother, but she seemed to have gotten even more annoying since the divorce. Cat's mother was clearly going out, as she was wearing a sparkly, tight-fitting dress that seemed to be designed for someone half her age. Plus, her face was caked in trashy makeup, and her long brown hair was clipped back with tacky glittery bobby pins. Jade knew it was mean to judge her in this way, but she couldn't bring herself to feel badly about her thoughts. Cat's mom was a bitch.

Cat ran down the stairs, and a look of disappointment spread across her face when she saw her mother had gotten to Jade first.

"Cat, sweetpea. Jade is here." Cat's mother reached out to touch Cat's shoulder and pull her close. She stared at her daughter's body. "Sweetie, why did you have to wear that old thing? You're having a friend over - you should dress nicer. You look like a bum!."

Cat picked at the sides of her dress uncomfortably. It was a casual, loosely fitted, pink-ish colored dress, about the same coloring as her hair. "Umm sorry," she mumbled, "I thought it was ok."

Jade could feel herself getting angrier. Beck was always telling her she could manage her anger. Just calmly use words and don't explode. She took a deep breath before speaking. "Well, we're just hanging out the two of us... watching movies... its a pretty low-key night. Besides, if Cat looks like a bum, I don't know what I look like." She gestured at her own dark wash skinny jeans and black hoodie.

Cat's mother chose to ignore Jade's statement about her clothing. "Oh, well that's too bad. If you two girls wanted to invite some more friends over, that would be okay with me. I'll be out all night, so the house is yours," she smiled and winked suggestively at Jade. It pissed Jade off to no end. She couldn't stand when parents tried to act like friends to their teenagers. It was obnoxious and stupid. "Jade, maybe you could invite some of your friends over? Little Cat doesn't have friends. I don't know why, but no one ever comes to visit her anymore."

Cat flinched noticeably, and Jade was one step away from clawing Cat's mother's eyes out. "Cat has plenty of friends, everyone at school likes her," she said coolly. "But we want to hang out together alone tonight. Watch movies and eat snacks."

Cat's mother started running her fingers through Cat's hair, and Cat cowered pathetically like a puppy that was about to be yelled at. "Well alright, if that's what you girls want to do. Just Cat sweetpea, easy on the snacks, okay?" Cat nodded. "And put some product in your hair. The ends are dry, it's embarrassing."

She continued to nod. "Okay mom," she said, barely audible.

Jade knew if they continued to talk with her mom for any longer she would explode and cause a scene, so she decided to end the encounter. She grabbed Cat's hand. "Come on, let's go," she ordered as she practically pulled the girl up the stairs. "Have fun tonight," she called over her shoulder to Cat's mother.

When they reached the top of the staircase, Jade started mumbling her frustrations under her breath, thinking no one could hear her. "Hope you get drunk and vomit all over that puke-tastic dress," she whispered to herself.

Cat's eyes snapped up to Jade's. At first they were wide in shock, but after a moment, she started giggling. "I hope that too," she whispered back, grinning ear-to-ear.

* * *

a/n: Yay, thanks for the lovely reviews to those who left them :-) I love reading reviews, they make me smile.

And yes.. i don't know why there is a shortage of Cat/Andre fics! I mean, come on! 1.) They are both adorable. 2.) Andre has a nickname for Cat. 3.) Andre was the only one interested in Cat's "doohickey" (snow machine lol). 4.) Ariana just posted a youtube video of her and Leon hanging out & singing and it is wonderful. You all should go watch it, it will turn you into Catandre fans!


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys, so it's been... 2 years? I apologize. I hope I keep writing this, but I don't want to make any promises. In case, you know, the next time I update is 2014.

Also, a quick warning- I have no idea where I'm headed. I remember having ideas and big-picture plans. But honestly, I just don't remember what those plans were. Bear with me!

* * *

Cat lay across her bed on her stomach, with Jade right by her side. She felt so warm and sugary inside, it was as if happiness and rainbows might burst out of her skin at any moment. Inviting Jade over had been the greatest idea ever.

Lately, by this time of night her brain would start to play tricks on her. Every creak in the house was a monster that would leave her pulse racing and her lungs aching.

But not tonight. Tonight she lay next to Jade's warm body, the sounds of their DVDs and giggles drowning out all the scary house sounds. A half-eaten bowl of popcorn and a pile of empty candy wrappers lay in front of them on the bed. Dark chocolate was Jade's favorite, but she'd remembered to bring Cat's favorite candy as well - strawberry jolly ranchers. As she rolled her tongue over the sweet candy in her mouth, Cat couldn't help but smile.

"Everything is so happy," she chirped girlishly. "My skin feels full of bubbles."

Jade forced an eye roll, but Cat could see the smile tugging behind her pursed lips. "Bubbles, Cat?"

"Mm-hmm." Cat nodded while crunching her teeth down on her strawberry jolly rancher. The force of the hard candy hurt her teeth, but the explosion of sweetness masked the pain.

* * *

Jade bode her time carefully. She was surprised when Cat had invited her to spend the night, and although she'd never admit it to anyone, she was a bit afraid. She loved Cat, but ever since junior high Jade couldn't even manage friendships with uncomplicated girls. And Cat was complicated. She didn't know where to begin.

Earlier that night, after devouring the last of the snacks, Cat had jumped up and declared she was going to shower and change into her pajamas. It was an innocent enough premise, but as soon as the shower turned on Jade pressed hear ear up against the bathroom door. Sure enough, she heard the sounds of retching. It was barely audible over the sounds of the shower head, but she definitely heard it.

About an hour later, Jade was now lying wide awake in the darkness of Cat's room. Cat was curled up on her side next to her, breathing softly, a piece of red hair strewn across her face. With all of the mascara and cherry-colored blush washed off of her face, the redhead's skin looked pale and worn.

It suddenly struck her how much Cat had changed since their junior high years. Cat had always been perky and sweet, but she used to also be smart and serious. Now she'd turned herself into this cartoon of her younger self, and lost her more subtle parts. Jade remembered back to when she used to tell all her deepest secrets to Cat. All of the unsure and awkward feelings of girlhood were divulged exclusively to Cat, who would in turn listen carefully and give the greatest advice. This Cat, who would text her all night about everything from crushes to wondering about God, now only talked of lip gloss and bubbles. Jade couldn't lie there any longer. It felt almost morbid, lying next to this shell of a person.

She walked down the stairs of the Valentine home, and sat quietly on the plush couch in the living room, tucking her legs beneath her. She pulled out her phone and texted Beck. "You awake?"

Fifteen seconds later her phone buzzed. Beck was calling.

"Hey."

"Hey," Beck replied.

There was a minute or so of silence, except for the breathing on both ends of the phone. Jade didn't know what to say, she was never very good with phones. She envisioned Beck was sitting right next to her, one arm slung over her shoulder. "Um, I didn't do it. We just watched tv."

"Oh."

"I heard her puking again though." The words rushed out of Jade's mouth, louder than she'd intended. She hoped that Cat was still upstairs and asleep.

"Oh," Beck repeated. Jade waited for him to say something else, to give some words of advice or even just commiserate. "Jade. We need to talk."

She twirled a long brown lock of hair around her fingers. In every movie she'd ever seen, those four words didn't led to anything good.

"Jade," Beck's voice repeated. "Are you still there?"

"Yea." Jade's voice hitched slightly, and she pulled the phone away from her face on reflex. After regaining her composure, she brought the phone back to her face and spoke again. "Talk about what?"

She heard him sighing on the other end. "I've just been thinking a lot. With all the Cat drama, I just got so caught up.. I didn't realize..."

Jade fidgeted with a pillow tassel. She felt her nerves starting to bounce in her skin. "Didn't realize what? Spit it out." She knew Beck was picking his words carefully. She both loved and hated the way he tiptoed around conflicts.

"I guess..." Beck paused. "I guess I just thought we were the kind of couple that could talk about things. What happened at that party ... that was a really big thing."

Jade felt her pulse throbbing up in her throat, the way it always did right before lashing out. She bit the insides of her cheeks to keep from saying something stupid. "I've told you now," she said carefully. "It wasn't a secret, it just didn't come up."

"That's how you're going to play it?" Beck spoke faster and louder as the control slipped out of his voice. "After what happened at our one year anniversary? I asked you if you were okay, if something had happened to you."

Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was going there. "I don't want to talk about that."

"You never do!" Beck laughed, the uncomfortable, wheeze of a laugh he always did when he was upset. "Do you know how hard that was for me? Wondering if I'd hurt you, or if I'd pressured you? You seemed so into it. And then suddenly you freaked. Do you have any idea what that was like for me?"

"Really? You're bringing that up now?" Jade fought to keep her voice down. She didn't want to wake up Cat, but the pressure kept building up in her chest. One hand clawed around her phone, the other one balled tightly into a fist. "My best friend is bulimic and days away from a meltdown, and you want to talk about why I won't let you fuck me? Nice."

"Best friend? You guys haven't talked in years." Beck scoffed. "And you know that's not why I'm upset. I asked you directly what was wrong. I asked you a million times. Why would you keep this a secret from me?"

Jade balled her fist even tighter. She clenched her teeth to keep her mouth from screaming at him. Her pulse beat wildly through her veins. "Okay, fine. You wanna bang? Fine. I don't care, do whatever you want to me. Just do whatever you fucking want, I won't stop you."

She hung up her phone and threw it into the carpet. As she unclenched her fist, she realized her nails had dug into the flesh of her palm, and blood trickled in a small stream across her hand.

Fucking Beck. He made her so angry sometimes. He knew how to push her buttons just the right away, while at the same time maintaining that stupid fucking face. That wide-eyed, innocent, I-just-want-to-talk-to-you-about-my-feelings face. As if she didn't have enough drama in her life with Cat. And fuck Cat too! If Cat would just grow the fuck up like the rest of the world, Jade wouldn't have had to tell Beck anything. If everyone else just took care of their own fucking issues privately, everything would have been fine.

Jade grunted angrily, and wiped up blood from her hand onto her black camisole. She didn't have to worry. The shirt was black, so no one could see she was hurt.

* * *

As always, I love feedback/criticisms and even (read: especially) ideas on where to go next. I've been away from this story for a long time, so I hope I didn't compromise the characters. :)


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for the nice reviews :) It's fun being back. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

* * *

"Hey, what's up with you?"

A hand lightly shoved against Beck's shoulder. Looking up to see it was Andre, he locked his phone screen and slid it into his back pocket. Beck had spent most of passing time rereading a text conversation he had with Jade, but he didn't want Andre to see.

"Nothing, man. What's going on with you?" Beck closed his locker and pulled his backpack onto his shoulder.

"I actually wanted to ask you a question," Andre started. "But never mind, you look like a wreck. What's going on?" Beck tried to shrug noncommittally, but Andre just looked at him with knowing eyes and nodded. "Fight with Jade again?"

Beck didn't say anything. He wanted to. He wanted more than anything to talk about what was going on to his best guy friend. But what could he say? That months ago, when he and Jade tried to have sex, she had a panic attack? Because years ago she had been raped? And that she didn't want to talk about any of it with her boyfriend? It was all so deeply personal, there was no way he could talk about any of it with Andre without feeling like he'd betrayed Jade's trust. "I can't," he muttered out loud, half to himself and half to Andre.

"Dude, you can talk to me." Andre pulled him over to the side of the hallway and tugged him down on a bench. "How bad?"

Beck scoured his brain, trying to figure out what to say to Andre. He wanted to talk to him so badly. "Well, yeah, we got in a fight." He leaned back into the bench and looked up at the ceiling tiles. "It's just, I wanted to talk to her about something, something that was affecting us. And she blew up at me. She keeps secrets and she never wants to talk about things."

Andre furrowed his brow. "What kinds of secrets? Did she cheat on you?"

Beck shook his head. "No, nothing like that at all. She's just... she's going through something, and she refuses to talk about it with me. The thing... it's not her fault. I'm not mad. I just don't know how to be a boyfriend if we can't talk about things." Beck sighed. "And I'm really not mad at her, but I was upset, so I lost control and yelled. And now she's not talking to me at all."

Beck watched Andre as he thought about what he had just heard. Beck loved that about Andre. In their conversations, Andre was perceptive and thoughtful, and almost never spoke without carefully mulling it over. "Wow, that's a lot. Sorry to hear that. Girls like Jade ... well .. maybe it's just hard for her to be vulnerable." Andre paused for a moment. "But I know you two will work it out. You know Jade's crazy about you."

"Who wouldn't be, right?" Beck chuckled. It was a quick conversation, but he already felt better after having talked to his friend. Andre was right. Jade was just scared, and fear wasn't an emotion she liked to advertise. He would talk to her again, but more gently. They were a couple, but they were also best friends. They could work through anything. "Hey man, I'm sorry for going on so much about Jade. What did you want to talk about? Hot date Friday?" Beck punched his arm playfully.

"Actually," Andre started, "Cat and I are going out." Beck tried to control his reaction as he felt his friend studying his face. "Is it weird?"

"Why would it be weird?" Beck felt his voice speaking a little too quickly and a little too loudly.

"You do think it's weird! Tell me why." Andre blushed. Beck felt bad for making him self-conscious. Normally, he would have congratulated him on getting a date.

"I'm sorry, I don't think it's weird." Beck shrugged. "Cat's just kinda tied up in me and Jade's drama - it just caught me off guard. But it's not weird. You guys are gonna have fun."

Andre smiled. "Thanks, I hope so. There's just something about her. I think there's more going on under the surface than people realize."

Suddenly, the bell rang, signifying the end of passing time. The friends parted ways and walked towards their respective classes. Beck sighed, not knowing what to do. Should he warn his friend about Cat? Or should he encourage it? Andre was such a good guy and deserved to have a girlfriend. But was he a bad friend for letting Andre walk into something so complicated? He didn't spend too much time thinking about it though. First he had to fix things with Jade.

* * *

The crisp fall air stung against Tori's warm cheeks. Her breath felt ragged as she gulped down oxygen. She looked down at her feet, pounding the pavement rhythmically as she jogged. Glancing over at the redhead running next to her, she realized Cat was in worse shape, her cheeks flushed almost as red as her hair.

"Hey, do you want to walk a bit?" Tori looked over her shoulder for signs of their PE teacher, Mr. Barden. In the middle of class he almost always ducked out for coffee, and today wasn't any different. "Looks like Barden went inside."

"Yea," Cat huffed. She slowed her jog to a walk, and then stopped walking entirely. She leaned over with her hands on her knees, catching her breath.

"Whoa, Cat. You ok?" Tori turned around to face Cat just as she started to fall towards her. Reaching her hands out, Tori caught Cat by the shoulders and steadied her. "Are you sick?"

Cat's eyes flew up to meet Tori's. The corners of her lips tugged up into a smile, but her eyes didn't light up the way they usually did.

"No, silly!" Cat squeaked out, between uneven breaths. "I feel great. Like I have glitter in my bones!"

Tori frowned. She never had any idea what Cat was talking about, but it bothered her how weak Cat had become. Until a month or so ago, Cat could have outrun her easily.

"Okay, let's run," Cat chirped. Her breathing had evened out, but her cheeks were still red and her eyes frazzled. "Let's run," she repeated, more forcefully. Her body fell to the side slightly, and she grabbed Tori's forearm to regain balance.

It startled Tori to feel Cat's thin white fingers clawed around her arm. It was obvious Cat wasn't feeling well, but why she wouldn't admit it was beyond her. "Hey, I need to walk," Tori lied. "Sorry, I'm exhausted."

"Oh. Ok." Cat seemed disappointed for a fraction of a second, but she quickly wiped the look off of her face. "Walking is the funnest!" She elbowed Tori gently in the ribs, and then caved into a fit of giggles.

* * *

Jade sat in Beck's car, which was parked by their spot in the park. They usually came here to talk or make out, but today they sat in silence. The air was heavy and uncomfortable. She could barely breathe.

"I can't do this," Jade snapped.

Beck jumped, startled by the sudden speaking. "Do what?"

"I don't know." Jade shrugged her shoulders. "This. Sit here in silence."

"Yeah, I can't do it either." Beck turned to face Jade, and lifted her chin so that their eyes met. "I'm sorry Jade. I really am. I shouldn't have gotten angry, and I shouldn't have ambushed you on the phone that night."

Jade closed her eyes and slid down in her seat, out of Beck's reach. "Can we not talk about that? Can we talk about literally anything else?" All the anger she felt the other night towards Beck had melted away. It was fleeting, like most of her anger fits. But she still felt so awkward and ashamed. She hated the way she blew up at him on the phone that night, and she hated the way she panicked on their anniversary. It was easier to be angry, but once the anger boiled away, it left this sticky, awkward mess.

"I love you." Beck said simply. "I was mad at the situation, I was mad that you were hurt. But I wasn't mad at you. Never you."

Jade felt her body trembling. The corners of her eyes started to ache, the way they did right before they would betray her and leak a tear. She hated the way her body was taking over. She didn't dare say anything, because she didn't trust her voice.

"Trust me. Please? I love you." There was such desperation in his voice. Part of her wished Beck was angry and cold, then at least she could have something solid to grab onto. She was good at fights. When they were fighting, she felt in control.

When Jade finally lifted her eyes back up to meet his, she immediately regretted it. His eyes, his beautiful brown eyes, were wet and red. Seeing them pushed her over the edge, and her body convulsed with sobs.

Jade pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face against them, letting her hair cascade around her. She tried so hard, so fucking hard, to regain control of her body. But she couldn't fight it. She felt herself rocking with the waves of pressure that passed through her torso, into her lungs. She heard herself making these noises, these god awful noises, as she gulped down air between sobs.

"Oh Jade." She felt Beck's arms wrap around her and pull her towards him. She allowed his hands to guide her, and curled her balled up body into his chest. Her sticky face clung to his shirt. She hated the shriveled, mess she had become. She was disgusting, a wreck, and out of control

His fingers were now running through her hair, and she willed herself to feel soothed. Her body was finally starting to calm down.

"Let me in, Jade." Beck's voice was low and gentle. "Whatever you're thinking, just say it out loud."

"I " - she started. This was hard, she didn't know if she could say it. She closed her eyes again and wrapped her arms across her body protectively. "I wanted to have sex with you. I really did. I didn't know I would... freak out like that." She felt a lump in her throat as she tried to speak. "It scared me too. I'm sorry."

Beck rubbed circles in her shoulder as she spoke. "You don't have to be sorry. I just wish I knew how to fix it."

Jade straightened in the seat, her legs draped across his lap, but her face close to Beck's. "Maybe we could try again?" Her voice felt foreign. It was lighter and wispier than usual.

"What?" Jade felt Beck's body tense beneath her. "That's not what this is about. I'm not just trying to get you to..."

"I know, I know," Jade shushed him. "It's just..." She took a deep breath. Her nerves were bouncing inside of her. "I love you." She blurted it out impulsively, before she could change her mind. "And you love me. It's simple."

Beck furrowed his brows. "I don't know, Jade. You didn't see yourself. You were really freaked out."

Jade felt the tears tugging at the sides of her eyes again. Beck wanted her to be more honest, and she was going to try. "Can I tell you a secret?" When Beck nodded, she continued. "Whenever I hear anyone talking about sex, I think bad things. I feel bad things." She felt her heart pounding against her lungs. "I have a boyfriend I love who loves me. When I think of sex... I want to think good things. I want good memories."

She felt Beck studying her face. It made her self conscious instantly. Here she was, probably covered with tears and mascara smeared across her face, while begging her boyfriend to have sex with her. She was covered in clothes, but she'd never felt more naked. "Not right now," she added quickly. "But sometime. Soon?"

"Ok," Beck said hesitantly. "Just promise you won't shut me out? No matter what happens?"

Jade took a deep breath, both relieved and terrified at the same time. She slid back down into Beck's lap and nestled her face into his chest. "I promise."

* * *

Reviews make me smile! Let me know how you feel about where this is going.

I enjoy critical feedback - Awhile back I received a comment asking why I was just brushing off Jade and how she was coping with the situation. It really struck me, and motivated these past two chapters. So if you think of things like that, don't be shy or feel like you're being critical - I actually really like it, and it's incredibly useful!

This chapter was very light on Cat drama, but I'll be back to that soon, no worries. I wanted both girls to struggle with it differently, but Jade seemed more ready to deal than Cat, so it made sense to me that she would wrestle with it first.


	8. Chapter 8

Next chapter - let me know what you think! :)

* * *

Cat spun the padlock on her locker while humming to herself. She loved mornings; they were her favorite time of day. The way the sunlight poured into her room in the morning- it made her feel shimmery and new. Putting on clothes and styling her hair and applying her makeup, especially applying her makeup, always made her feel like a princess. A pixie-like princess. One who lorded over all the fairies and used her magic to keep the bad monsters away.

Cat pawed through her locker cheerfully in search of her jolly rancher stash. Her locker was a mess, but she found the candies wedged between her math textbook and a Seventeen magazine. Happily, she unwrapped and plopped a strawberry candy in her mouth. She giggled to herself as the sweetness swirled through her body.

Glancing at her watch, she realized she still had another fifteen minutes before first period started. She was early to school, as always. Pulling out a tube of lip gloss from her purse, she examined her face in her locker mirror.

"Hey." Suddenly Jade stood in front of her. Cat felt a knot in her stomach as the taller girl looked her square in the eye. Her eyes were lined heavily and her dark hair fell slightly over her face. Even so, Cat was taken aback by her intensity.

"Hey," Cat answered back, as cheerfully as she could muster. Her tongue played with the jolly rancher in her mouth, and a smile fell naturally onto her face. Jade wasn't scary, she reminded herself. This was the Jade who ate candy and watched movies last weekend. "Your hair is so pretty today," she said happily, reaching out for a lock on her shoulder.

"It's the same as it always is," Jade snapped, slapping Cat's hand away. "I mean, never mind. We need to talk."

Cat giggled to herself. Jade was silly when she acted all mean. It was just pretend. Just acting. "You're right!" she exclaimed. "Your hair is always so pretty. And your jacket! It's too dark for me with my bright hair, but on you-"

"Cat, I'm serious!" Jade growled. "Follow me."

She turned and walked down the hall, and Cat bounced behind her. "We should go shopping sometime. Cat and Jade, Jade and Cat. And then you can sleep over again! I love slumber parties!" Cat squealed. "Can I give you a makeover?! It would be so much fun!"

Jade spun around on her heels to face the shorter girl. Cat felt Jade's eyes prying at her own. She felt uneasy, like her stomach was made of slippery spaghetti. They stood in silence for a moment, and Cat couldn't take it. She could feel her brain reeling, searching frantically for something to latch onto. "Do you want to go get milkshakes after school?" The idea popped suddenly in her head, and relieved, she ran with it. "My favorite is strawberry. What's your -"

"Jesus," Jade interrupted, her cheeks tinting a flustered red. Jade grabbed her wrist, hard, and tugged her into the janitor's closet. "We're alone. You can act normal now."

Cat felt a trickle of uncertainty in the back of her throat, but she pushed it away. "What do you mean? Normal?" She gasped, happiness bubbling through her, competing with the fear in her throat. "Is this where we're going to plan our best friend sleepover parties?!"

Cat watched Jade, as she shook her head and paced the length of the closet.

"Cat," Jade said slowly. "I know. Ok? I know." Jade awkwardly reached forward and took one of Cat's hands in her own. Her hands were warm, and surprisingly soft. "I'm going to talk to Lane. Don't freak out on me. I just don't know what to do."

Cat pulled her hand away slowly and crossed her arms. "What are you going to talk to Lane about? Are you friends? I thought you didn't like him."

"No, Lane and I are not friends," Jade snapped. Cat jumped. The tension in the room was heavy, she needed to escape. "I'm sorry," Jade quickly apologized, taking a step towards Cat. "I'm not good at this."

Cat froze. Her eyes flew frantically around the room looking for something colorful, something sparkly, something distracting.

"I'm going to tell him about your bulimia, and he's going to get you help," Jade said carefully.

Cat felt like a balloon had popped inside of her chest. Suddenly she couldn't breathe. All the air had left her body. Panic swirled through her head as she lost track of her surroundings. She felt dizzy - gravity started pulling in all different directions. This wasn't happening. It was a dream, a weird dream. Any minute now she would wake up in her bed, curled up in her red sheets, sunlight streaming into her face. It would all be over soon.

"Cat, Cat." Cat felt Jade's hands on her shoulders, as her body was shaken. "Stay with me. Cat."

"You're lying." Cat heard her voice speaking, but she didn't feel in control. "You're a liar, and you're lying." She pushed past Jade and stormed out of the closet into the hall.

She was walking quickly. To where, she had no idea. She felt an impulse to run. If only she had worn sneakers instead of the purple heels she had put on that morning. She loved the feeling of running. The way the wind gusted into her face and her vision spiraled like an ice cream cone. Her mind would bounce happily again, if only she could move faster. Faster, faster.

Suddenly, her body stopped short as she collided with something. She dropped her bag, and her pens and notebooks spilled everywhere. "No!" she cried. It was a mess. Everything was falling apart, everything was out of control.

"Whoa, Little Red, I'm sorry!" The object she had bumped into was Andre.

"No, I did it. I messed it up." She leaned against the lockers and slid down to the floor, knees pressed against her chest. She must have swallowed her strawberry jolly rancher back in the janitor's closet. All she could taste in her mouth was stale air.

Andre squatted onto the floor collecting her belongings, and handed them to Cat. "Cat, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Cat shook her head. "What happened?"

Cat looked into Andre's eyes. His soft, gentle eyes. He wasn't like Jade. "Do you want to go get milkshakes after school," she asked quietly, her voice melting desperation. "My favorite is strawberry. What's yours?"

"Yea, definitely." She felt Andre's hand squeeze her own. "But tell me what's wrong, Little Red."

Cat smiled. She liked Andre's nickname for her. The second she smiled, she felt the wheels in her mind starting up again. She could be happy again after all. In fact, she was already starting to forget what it felt like to be sad. Her smile broke out into an even bigger grin, and the familiar warmth spread through her arms. "Nothing is wrong," she sang as she bounced up from the floor. Her body was light, she thought she might fly. "I love school, do you like school?" She offered a hand to Andre, and helped pull him up from the floor. "Thanks for picking up my stuff. You're so nice!"

Andre looked at her quizzically. "You can tell me - why were you upset before?"

What had happened before she bumped into Andre - Cat had already shut that out of her mind. "Umm.. I don't know," she shrugged. "Oh! I remember! I told Jade her hair looked nice. Because it totally does, I don't know how she gets it to curl so perfectly. Jade's so pretty" She saw Andre looking at her, still confused. "Oh! And then Jade got mean. She said some lies about me." Cat nodded for emphasis. "Mean ones. Jade's a liar."

Andre held her hand in his own. "Hey, I'll talk to her, ok? You don't deserve to be treated like that. Come on, I'll walk you to your class." He pulled on her hand gently, and led her down the hall.

Cat was so happy, she nearly skipped down the hall with him. Everything was wonderful. Giggles spilled out of her mouth. "You never told me your favorite milkshake!," she squealed as she leaned her head into his shoulder. While she walked to class with Andre, she saw Jade watching. But she didn't care. Jade may be a lying monster, but Andre was her prince.

* * *

Tori slumped down in her seat fifteen seconds before the first bell rang. She hated mornings. She sipped on her iced coffee and waited for the caffeine to make its way into her bloodstream.

"Morning class!" Tori's eyes snapped up. Their normal English teacher wasn't in the room, and instead the voice belonged to Lane, their guidance counselor. "Your teacher called in sick late today, so until they find someone else, I'm going to be watching her classes." Relief washed through Tori. She hadn't done any of the reading for today's class, as she'd been up all night arguing with Trina. Lane caught her eye and smirked at her. "Don't be too upset for your teacher, I'm sure she'll recover." Tori blushed and looked at her feet. Now the guidance counselor thought she was heartless, great. "She didn't leave any plans," Lane continued, "so I guess just get in groups of 2 or 3 and discuss the reading... or whatever."

Tori turned to the desk on her right. "Thank god," she whispered to Andre. "Between you and me, I didn't read anything. I don't even know what chapters we were supposed to read."

"Wow." Jade sat behind Tori. When Tori turned to look at her she was smirking. "Miss little goody two shoes is losing her touch. Alert the media."

Tori rolled her eyes. She'd known Jade just long enough that her insults were already rolling right off of her, to the point where she barely noticed it anymore. When she first came to Hollywood Arts, they were bitter enemies. But by now she almost considered them friends. "That's me - full of surprises." Jade slunk back in her seat, in her Jade-like way, and Tori redirected her attention at Andre.

"So... Andre. Excited for your date with Cat Friday?" She punched his arm playfully. Tori loved Andre as a friend. In contrast to Jade, he was a consistently calm presence in her life. He'd been so awkward and nervous about his upcoming date, which was unusual behavior for him, and Tori found it completely adorable. "Have you decided where you're taking her?"

"You guys are going out Friday?" Jade's voice was sharp, and staccato-like. She picked chips in her black nail polish intently.

Andre's face was tense. Tori couldn't decipher the emotion; she'd never seen him like this. "Andre, are you mad? Did something happen? Did she cancel?"

Andre sighed. "No, nothing happened. We're still going out." He paused, clearly mulling over what he was going to say next. "Jade, Cat told me what happened. Leave her alone, ok? Mess with somebody else."

Tori watched as Jade scrunched her eyes and studied Andre. "What exactly did she tell you?" Jade asked carefully.

"Please," Andre scoffed. "Don't play dumb. She told me how you yelled at her and how you tell lies about her. If you can't be nice, maybe you should just not talk to her."

Tori glanced back and forth uncomfortably between the two of them. She was used to people arguing with Jade, but usually Jade was the aggressor. Right now, Andre looked positively pissed off while Jade wore a stunned expression.

Jade folded her arms across her chest. "That's her version?"

Andre shook his head disgustedly. "Just stop, okay? First you keep secrets from Beck, then you make up lies about Cat. Can you just leave us alone?"

The skin on Jade's face turned ghost white. Tori reached out to grab her arm. The girl looked as if she could pass out at any moment. It unnerved Tori that Jade didn't even try to pull away, her brown eyes were fixated on Andre's. "Jade, are you ok?"

"Um, yeah." Jade jumped out of her trance. She stood up jerkily, and knocked the desk with her knee. "I um... I'm going to go to the bathroom." Before Lane could say anything, Tori watched Jade storm out of the room.

* * *

Jade leaned against the bathroom sink, her fingers flying over her phone. "What the hell did you tell Andre?" No, too stupid - delete. "I'm breaking up with you." She couldn't follow through with that - delete. "I can't believe you told." Delete, delete, delete.

The bathroom door creaked open and Tori poked her head through the crack. "Can I come in?"

Jade shrugged. "Free country."

Tori walked across the bathroom tiles, her boots clicking. The sound made Jade want to rip Tori's preppy brown hair out.

Except then she'd be alone. As much as she hated to admit it, the idea of being alone right now made her skin crawl.

"So what's going on?" Tori gazed expectantly up at Jade, with that stupid face of hers. "You're a lot of things, Jade," Tori continued. "But you're not a liar. Is something going on with Cat?"

Jade's gut reaction was to tell Tori to fuck off. Tori didn't know Cat, or even want to know Cat. Like everyone else, she just accepted the vapid, hollow girl Cat had become. All this time, it was so obvious, so fucking obvious.

But then again, Tori hadn't believed Andre's accusations. That was something. She chewed on the inside of her cheek subconsciously, until a sharp pain brought her back to the present.

Tori nodded. "So, it's serious." Jade scrunched her eyebrows, annoyed at Tori's apparent Jedi mind tricks. She hadn't said anything, yet Tori was still able to get information out of her. "Jade, please tell me. After what happened in gym the other day, I've been worried..."

"Wait," Jade held her hand up to Tori's face, interrupting. A flicker of annoyance passed over Tori's face, and Jade drew her hand back quickly. "Sorry, reflex," she said awkwardly. "What happened in gym class?"

Tori's shrugged her shoulders. "It's ok. Um... I don't know exactly, she just seemed weak. Like just dizzy and sick. She was always such a good runner, but now she can barely keep up."

Jade nodded, processing the new information. It didn't surprise her. But should she tell Tori? Her plan was to go to Lane directly, and try to protect Cat's privacy. But would Lane even believe her, hostile Jade, over sweet Cat and rational Andre?

Tori was everything Jade hated about teenage girls. She was trendy and preppy, always trying to appease and be everyone's friend. And it worked - teachers and students alike seemed to adore her. But there, in that moment in the bathroom, Jade started to question herself. Yeah, Tori, was irritating. But she was slow to judge, and had better people skills than Jade. Maybe she could help Cat.

She didn't even realize she had made a decision by the time the words came flying out of her mouth. "Cat used to be different. She's all over the place now, and it's only getting worse." Jade stopped for a breath, assessing Tori's reaction. "I didn't think it was that big a deal - so she got a little flakey, people change, right? But a week ago ... I found out she's bulimic."

Tori's eyes widened. "Oh my god."

Jade nodded her head, relieved that Tori believed her. "That day we went to your house - I tried to talk to her about why she changed, about how we used to be friends. And she lost it. Completely freaked out at me. And then today I told her I knew about the bulimia and that I was going to tell Lane, and she denied it. Apparently she covered her tracks by telling Andre I make up lies about her. I just... I just don't know what to do with her anymore. We used to be such good friends, but now she's so far gone... We can't even have a normal conversation." Jade felt her eyes watering, so she blinked hard, trying to keep the tears away. She wanted more than anything to help Cat, but she felt so powerless.

Before she knew what was happening, she felt Tori's thin arms wrap around her neck. Jade wasn't used to hugs, especially from girls. She stood as still as she could, and debated what to do with her own arms - is this where she should hug Tori back? It was awkward. But she had to admit, it kind of felt nice.

After a few long seconds, Tori broke the hug. "I knew it! I just knew something was wrong." She crossed her arms over her chest and chewed on her lip, deep in thought. "I think we should go tell Lane together. Even if she denies it. He'll have to believe us - there's no reason we'd both lie." She nodded to herself. "Yes, that's what we should do. And he'll make sure she gets help. It's going to be ok." She reached out and squeezed Jade's arm.

Jade sighed. She still wanted to hate Tori, but she also really needed Tori to be right.

* * *

Reviews make me happy! Even (especially) the constructive ones. If you have ideas to where you'd like the story to go - let me know. At the moment I'm figuring it out one chapter at a time. :)


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